EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

Just got the new disk streaming update to Kontact from the NI site and have
been running it head to head with EXS24. Streaming seems to work quite well
on PC in Logic 5.5. 

It falls behind the EXS24 still in some departments:

-- Giga imports are inferior to the EXS24 -- key switching is not converted
properly.

-- The instrument editor can't seem to cope with displaying large sample
sets. EXS24 instrument editor has facilities like automapping that put it
in front still in important areas.

Sound quality: I tested some sample sets where every note is sampled -- the
sound quality of Kontact seems indistinguishable from that of the EXS24 Mk
II  when running the same sample set head to head.

Filters -- large variety of filters and FX are built into Kontact. Sound
pretty decent to me -- as do the Emagic filters. 

Advantages of Kontact are:

1.  that it works standalone -- you can put it on another machine(s) and
get another 16 channels of sampling. Using it in a host like Chainer or
V-stack (when it supports midi routing) will be very useful. 

2.  Not tied to Logic and it works cross platform. PC development path of
EXS24 would appear to be at an end -- ( we can still hope not I guess )

3. Extensive sound mangling possibilities.  

I believe the crossgrade offer has been extended till the end of Feb.

Regards,
Murray